Polo Training Foundation

Lisa M. Nousek, a partner at Boies, Schiller & Flexner in Armonk, New York, enjoys the sport of polo and supports young people interested in the game. For this purpose, Lisa M. Nousek gives to the Polo Training Foundation, an organization that supports college-level players through the funding of curricula and the creation of polo competitions.

Formed in 1967, the Polo Training Foundation aims to support the future of polo by funding various collegiate and local programs as well as centers for people interested in learning the game. Located in Tully, New York, the foundation has numerous programs for various age groups, from the 15 and under Junior Polo group to college level. The foundation also offers workshops for polo educators.

The current scholarship program was put into place in 2011. The program provides funding for interested students with financial need at any college with a polo program. Those who donate to the foundation are giving passionate students from around the United States the opportunity to achieve their polo goals.Lisa M. Nousek, a partner at Boies, Schiller & Flexner in Armonk, New York, enjoys the sport of polo and supports young people interested in the game. For this purpose, Lisa M. Nousek gives to the Polo Training Foundation, an organization that supports college-level players through the funding of curricula and the creation of polo competitions.

Formed in 1967, the Polo Training Foundation aims to support the future of polo by funding various collegiate and local programs as well as centers for people interested in learning the game. Located in Tully, New York, the foundation has numerous programs for various age groups, from the 15 and under Junior Polo group to college level. The foundation also offers workshops for polo educators.

The current scholarship program was put into place in 2011. The program provides funding for interested students with financial need at any college with a polo program. Those who donate to the foundation are giving passionate students from around the United States the opportunity to achieve their polo goals.

Since 2006, Lisa M. Nousek has practiced law at Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP, and is now a partner in the Armonk, New York, firm. Outside of her professional activities, Lisa M. Nousek enjoys playing polo and supports related organizations like the nonprofit Polo Training Foundation.

The Polo Training Foundation oversees a variety of programs and activities to advance the sport of polo. In addition to youth and adult polo clinics, polo umpire- and instructor-training activities, and an international exchange program, the Foundation offers an academic scholarship program to provide financial assistance to college students who play polo. Launched in 2011, the scholarship program is open to high school seniors or current college students who have a 3.0 grade point average and demonstrate financial need.

Applicants must also be currently enrolled or planning to enroll as a full-time student at a college or university in the U.S. that offers an established polo program. Those who receive a scholarship from the Polo Training Foundation must remain active in their school’s polo program and reapply every year with supporting documentation to maintain their scholarship eligibility.

Currently, the Foundation’s scholarship program is supported through private donations, and the amount and number of scholarships may vary from year to year, based on the availability of funds. For more information, visit http://www.polotraining.org.

The 2013 recipient of the New York Metro Area Rising Star award, Lisa M. Nousek practices commercial liability law as a partner at Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP. A sponsor of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Polo Training Foundation, Lisa M. Nousek is an avid rider and experienced polo player.

Lasting about an hour and a half, a polo match is comprised of six chukkers – seven-minute periods – with three-minute breaks between each and a halftime of 15 minutes. The 10-acre field has goals on either side of its 300-yard length. With two four-person teams, each numbered jersey designates the player’s position and responsibilities.

A polo match is based around which player has control of the ball, called the line of the ball; when the path of the ball’s travel is on a player’s right side, and he or she was the last to strike it. It’s an imaginary line, and a pair of umpires ensure no other players pass through the line of the ball. Defensive players can take away the line of the ball by pushing the controlling player off the line with their shoulder, stealing the ball, hooking the offensive player’s mallet, or bumping the player’s horse, which must be done at a less-than-45-degree angle. For safety reasons, players may only use their right hand.